Glowing From The Inside Out
by Dozey212
Summary: Tamani/Laurel. Laurel's returning to her old house so she can bloom. With things between her and David messed up, will things work out the way Tamani always wanted them to between him and Laurel? Two-shot. Read and Review!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** No own, no own. But I'll take Tamani any day.

**Note: **Set right after Wing's. Oh, and blame Baby-Lily for making me write this. Oh and this is a bit OOC. Maybe more then a bit. I dunno. Review and tell me. This is a one-shot.

Read and Review!Bloom

Perched high in one of his favourite trees, Tamani looked down at the old cabin. Laurel's cabin. His stomach did a flip. She'd be coming back today. He looked longingly down the gravel driveway.

It was autumn once again. Which meant Laurel would be blooming again. He couldn't help but smile at the thought. Last fall her flower had been beautiful. It had smelt better then any other he had ever smelt before. But that was to be expected – such a beautiful thing could only suite Laurel.

That, of course, was the reason she was coming here. She was spending a week and a half, roughly, here, so she could bloom without having to tie her flower down and suffocate it again. He beamed. A week and a half with Laurel. He could show her some of the special hidden places in the forest. They could do anything they wanted.

A car tuned onto the long driveway, making the gravel crunch. Tamani looked up hopefully, only to see it was a lost car using the driveway to do a U-turn. He looked down again, frowning in disappointment.

The other faerie sentries didn't want Laurel to see them like Tamani did. He knew that they'd stay in the undergrowth, hidden like always, watching and guarding the gateway. Tamani had asked if he could have this little time to be with Laurel. It had taken a while, but they had finally agreed.

The gravel crunched again and he looked towards the sound once again. It was her car. He felt excitement race through him. He climbed swiftly down his tree, dropping the last few feet gracefully. He straightened straight away and melted into the undergrowth as silently as any of the other sentries, apart from the rapid beating of his heart. He wondered if they could hear it.

The car door slammed. He watched, invisible in the forest, as Laurel climbed out of the backseat and looked around. Her gaze landed on him in the undergrowth and he was sure that she could somehow see him. But then she glanced to the side, continuing her scanning. He chuckled silently.

"Have you got everything?" her father asked her, lifting her bags. Tamani was relieved to see he looked fully recovered. He knew how much he meant to Laurel, and it would've hurt her if something had happened to him.

"Yeah. I don't need much, anyway," Laurel said. Tamani smiled at hearing her voice after months of being without it. All his life he'd heard it, and only when she'd moved did he fully realise how much it had meant to him, how much he'd missed it.

"Let me take that," her Mum said, taking the bags from her Dad. "You go get the bed." He nodded and buried his head in the car boot again. He re-emerged with a blow up mattress and a pump.

Tamani watched as Laurel scanned the surrounding trees again, her gaze not even pausing this time on the spot he was hidden in. He smiled warmly at the thought that she was probably looking for him.

"Sweetie, we can take your stuff in," her Mum offered when she noticed her daughters searching. Tamani silently thanked the woman.

Laurel started walking towards the path immediately. "Okay. Thanks," she called back over her shoulder. Tamani felt tingles go through him as he remembered the last time they had been standing together on that path – when she had kissed him.

She didn't call his name as soon as she was well into the forest like she usually did. He followed silently, waiting and watching, no matter how much he just wanted to come out of the cover of the trees and face her. She just kept walking gracefully down the path, never pausing.

Just as he was beginning to wonder what she was doing, she stopped. She turned in a slow circle, finally resting on where he was invisible among the trees.

"Hey, there," she said softly. He nearly jumped in surprise. How on earth could she see him?

"Hello Laurel," he said as he stepped out from the cover of the trees, hiding his surprise. She beamed at him. His insides did a back flip. He felt himself smiling in response. He took four strides towards her, stopping half a metre from her. He smiled wider and took her hands in his. "You really came."

She looked away from his eyes. "Uh . . . yeah. I said I would." She pulled her hands free, blushing. He made sure his smile didn't falter, no matter how much his empty hands stung.

"I'm glad all the same."

She looked back at him, a small smile on her mouth. He couldn't look away from her mouth. He remembered what it felt like to have her lips moving against his . . . He mentally shook himself. He was confused about that, although he made sure he wasn't going to show it. She'd picked the human –David– but she'd kissed him – before leaving him. Did that mean she had feelings for him? Or was it just a spilt of the moment thing? A mistake? He felt a pang. He hoped against hope that she had meant it.

He inhaled deeply. He could just faintly smell her floral scent, even though she wouldn't bloom for another day. "You smell wonderful, even though you haven't bloomed yet." He watched as she shifted awkwardly under the compliment.

"Yeah . . . well, thanks." She turned her light green eyes back to his own darker ones. "I should probably go help Mum and Dad."

"You probably should," he agreed. _But I don't want you to leave me for however long, ever again. I want you to stay here with me,_ he added to himself with a sigh.

They turned and started walking through the forest again, side by side. Tamani couldn't help but think it was right to be with Laurel, just walking, no words needed. Glancing over at her, he found her smiling.

"It's nice to be home," she said, looking lovingly at the forest. He wondered if it was because she could feel Avalon calling.

"Home is always nice," he agreed. He sighed. "I wish I could show you Avalon. Then you would know what home really means." He gazed off into the distance, remembering the faerie homeland. "It's so beautiful, Laurel. You've been there, of course, but you don't remember." A thought struck him. "Maybe if you go back, you'll remember. It might trigger your memories." He looked at her hopefully.

She was frowning. "I don't know. Seems like it was one hell of a memory elixir they gave me." He felt his face fall and quickly glanced away. How could she not even try? Didn't she want to remember him? "But I guess there's always a chance," she added, as if it was an afterthought. He seized the hope that statement help for him.

"Does that mean you'd go there then? And try to remember?" he asked, looking at her intently. They had reached the end of the path but both hovered a few metres from the open space of the yard, unseen.

She was thoughtful for a moment. "Tamani," she said. "You know I can't leave. I – for my whole life, or what I can remember of it," she amended, "I've been human. And I have to protect my family. I don't know if I could leave them behind."

He nodded. "But Laurel, you can just visit Avalon. We could –" he broke off. He didn't know if he could keep his voice steady. "I guess I have to understand," he said quietly.

She was silent for a long time. When he finally couldn't stand it any longer and looked up, she was staring at him. Her eyes were shiny, glistening wetly with the sunlight that made it through the canopy above them.

"Laurel? What's wrong?" How had he made her cry?

"It's nothing. It's . . . it's just that David said that, right before I left," she said, glancing towards the opening at the end of the path. She set off down the path again, but he leapt forward and caught her wrist.

"What? Are you okay?" he asked. Did they fight or something? And what would David have to understand?

"Just forget I said anything. Mum and Dad are waiting," she said and yanked her arm free. She ran the last few metres quickly, slowing to a walk just before she left the cover of the trees. He watched her disappear around the bend in confusion.

**~*~**

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" her Mum asked, hesitating at the car door. Tamani understood what it felt like to prolong your precious moments with Laurel.

"Yeah. I'll be fine," Laurel reassured them. Tamani thought her voice sounded strained.

Apparently, so did her Dad. "Are you sure? You don't sound okay, sweetie." He, too, was hovering beside the car.

She shook her head. "I'm all right." Her voice was a lot steadier. Tamani frowned, wondering why it had been uneven in the first place. Maybe she was just sad at saying goodbye to her parents. Or, maybe it had something to do with what had happened before.

Soon Laurel's parents were driving down the driveway, her Mum waving until the car disappeared from sight. In the quiet that followed her parent's departure, Tamani heard Laurel sigh. She glanced at the path and took a step towards it – _towards him_ – then changed her mind, and walked into the old cabin instead. Tamani couldn't help but feel disappointed.

He considered walking across the lawn and going and knocking on the door of the cabin – something he never would have done before she'd moved and found out the truth about what she was. But he didn't. If she wanted to see him, Laurel would come into the forest where they were both comfortable. And she probably wanted to be alone, considering how she'd acted in the forest and the edge to her voice before.

He sighed sadly and melted into the trees. He'd give her some privacy – even if it was only from him. He knew the other sentries would be watching, more out of habit then need anymore. Tamani walked through the familiar forest until he reached the creek. He squatted beside it and scooped some moss of the rocks to eat. Then he nearly burst out laughing, remembering how he'd told Laurel how he'd made his hair and eyes so green by eating it. He shook his head. It was normal for a faerie.

He heard light footsteps coming up behind him. He stood and turned, holding a handful of moss in his hand, expecting it to be one of his fellow faerie sentries. Instead of seeing Shar or one of the others, he turned to be face to face with Laurel. He searched her face, seeking any signs of her earlier sad emotions. There were none.

"You walk like a faerie," he commented. He picked a piece of moss out of the pile resting on his palm and put it in his mouth, wanting to see Laurel's reaction. "Very quietly. Graceful," he added once he'd swallowed it.

She made a face. "That's so gross, you know."

He smiled at her. "You only think so because you've been raised as a human." He held out his hand, smiling wider. "Try some." He wasn't sure if she would or not. He hoped she would. She'd like it so much more then human food.

She wrinkled her perfect nose. "No, thankyou." She glanced at the green fury heap in his palm and made another face.

He laughed out loud. God, he loved her. "C'mon, just try it," he said, still chuckling. He picked another bit up and popped it in his mouth. He didn't have to act to show how good it tasted. When she didn't say anything, he swallowed his moss and said, "Please, Laurel? For me? Trust me, it tastes good."

Looking revolted, she reached out and took a tiny bit off the green heap in his hand. His skin tingled where her soft pale hand brushed his. He smiled at her reassuringly. "I can't believe I'm doing this," she muttered.

"You'll love it," he reassured her. She had loved it before she'd had her memory stolen, anyway. He wondered if her food preferences had changed when she no longer remembered them.

"Doubt it," she said, eyeing the green stuff she held in between two fingers doubtfully. "Here goes nothing." She quickly popped the moss into her mouth, squeezing her eyes closed as she did so. She chewed a couple of times before swallowing. She unclenched her eyelids and her bright light green eyes met his own.

"Well?" he asked eagerly when she didn't say anything.

She snatched the moss from his hand. "It's not too bad," she admitted before shovelling some more into her mouth. He chuckled quietly.

"I knew you'd love it," he told her as he watched her eating his moss. "It's nice to know some things stayed the same."

"Oh yeah?" she paused in eating the moss to stare at him, her attention caught.

"Yeah. Back when we knew each other –" he tried not to show how painful it was for him to say that "– you loved moss. I still remember you with green hair." He smiled, deep in his treasured memories. "Of course, you're hair was only green when it wasn't purple."

"I had purple hair?" she asked doubtfully. He wondered how these simple things must seem so strange to her. He smiled. One day, when she became more of a faerie, she might think these things simple, too. She might even live in this forest with him, or in Avalon . . .

"And purple eyes," he verified, pulling himself from his train of thought.

"You're joking, right?" Plain disbelief was written all over her face.

"No." He shook his head. "Laurel, it isn't that uncommon. Actually –" he looked her up and down "– faeries like you are very uncommon. You're so human looking. Pale skin, pale blonde hair, green eyes. Nearly all faeries are colourful."

"I'm fine being uncolourful then, thankyou very much," she snapped and ate another bit of moss. He wondered if he had offended her. She looked amazing, but she wasn't like any of the other faeries.

"If you eat to much of that –" he nodded at the shrinking moss pile in her hand "– you'll soon look like me. Green hair and dark green eyes." He grinned.

"You have it then," she said, lifting the pile towards his face. He thought about quickly eating the remainder from her hand but quickly dismissed the idea. Instead, he reached out and took the leftovers. "Thanks," he said before eating it all in one mouthful.

She started walking along the creek, her back to him. He could see the bud of her unopened flower. He followed her. She kept glancing at him and when he caught her eye, she looked like she wanted to say something. She quickly glanced away. "Hey, about before," she said. "Sorry. I kinda lost it."

"It's okay," he said. He wanted to ask what she had been talking about, but didn't. If she wanted to tell him, she'd tell him. He didn't want to force her to tell him.

Still hesitating, she stopped and turned to him. She was so close to him he could count each of her long eyelashes. He didn't feel awkward, and seeming how she made no move to step back, he guess she didn't, either. His heart gave an unsteady squeeze.

"No, it isn't," she said softly. "It wasn't your fault. It's just that. Well. We – David and I." She stopped talking and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, he couldn't understand what he saw in them. "I, well, David and I – we're just friends now."

Hope shot through him. Then he frowned. "I thought you loved him."

She shook her head. "I think I could've loved him, but," she hesitated. "I don't even know how things went wrong. One day it was fine, the next it was just . . . wrong."

"Why?" Tamani whispered.

She looked at him sadly. "Don't get me wrong, David's great and he did nothing wrong. I just – I don't know. Whenever I was with David, I thought of you, Tamani. I told you I'd think of you. I'm not sure you knew how much I would." She sighed. "I'm not sure I knew how much, either."

Tamani couldn't think. That little bit of hope he'd been hanging onto had just grown to consume all of him. He held his breath, waiting for her to continue, seeming how he couldn't speak.

"But, Tamani, that doesn't change anything," she whispered. "I have a job. A duty. I have to stay and protect Mum and Dad. And own the land. What if some troll came and tried to hurt them again? Last time Dad nearly died." Her eyes filled with tears.

"I know," he answered softly. The hope was still there, bigger then before, but it had just gotten smaller. A lot smaller. He knew and understood what she was saying and why she was committed to it, but that didn't stop him from hoping that she could've been with him now. That, he could never stop hoping for.

"But –" her voice caught in her throat. Tamani shuffled forward a step, closing the distance between them, and hugged her. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her against him. He did it without thinking, and only realised what he'd done when she'd tensed in his embrace. But then she relaxed, and her arms wrapped around him, returning the gesture. Tamani had never felt more complete in his life.

"Shh," he said when he felt the wetness of her tears on his shirt. "It'll be okay. You'll see." He gently rocked them backwards and forwards.

"You can't know that," she mumbled into his shirt.

"Remember how I told you you'd love the moss?" he felt her nod rather then saw it. "This is like that. I know it'll be okay."

She laughed shakily and pulled away. Tamani couldn't help but feel a little sad when she did. She wiped her eyes. "I hate crying," she mumbled. Then she added, "You know, I'm surprised faeries can cry."

"Why would that surprise you?" he asked.

"Well, when we bleed, its sap. So, I kinda thought we might cry sap, too," she said, looking embarrassed.

He smiled and wiped one of her stray tears away. She shifted uncomfortably under his touch and he frowned in confusion. A moment ago, she'd been hugging him. And now she was uncomfortable? "We have water in us, too, Laurel," he said. "But I guess it's a reasonable assumption."

She nodded before sinking to the ground, her back resting on a tree trunk. He sat down beside her as she rested her head on the trunk behind them.

After a couple of minute's silence, Tamani had come to a decision. He couldn't just not ask. He couldn't not ever know, when the chance had been right here. And besides, she had said she'd thought about him more then he knew, hadn't she? That ought to count for something. He took a deep breath, mustering his courage. She'd either reject him – and he'd accept that – or, she'd . . . he didn't know what the other alternative was. She'd accept him.

"Laurel?" he asked softly.

"Yeah?" she answered just as softly. She rolled her head towards him.

"We . . . we could be together," he said softly, watching her intently. He resisted the urge to hold his breath. "I know you and David just broke up, and I shouldn't really be asking because of that, but . . . You could visit. I could visit you if I had to." He tried his best not to let pleading enter his voice. "And it wouldn't get in the way of you protecting your parents." He realised he was rambling and broke off, still looking at her, trying to judge her reaction. He thought he saw something flicker in those light green eyes, but he wasn't sure.

"Tamani," she breathed. "I – I don't know."

How could she not know? "I understand if you don't want to," he added quickly. "You shouldn't feel forced into deciding. You can take as long as you need." He forced a smile, for her benefit, even though he felt like he was breaking inside. "I'll still be here – as your friend."

"I guess –" she hesitated. He couldn't resist holding his breath this time. "It doesn't . . . interfere with anything, and –"

"Do you want to, Laurel?" Tamani asked seriously, cutting her off. He had to know.

She exhaled in a rush. "Of course I want to be with you. It's just that – I –" Feelings he didn't know rushed through him when she said it. He felt like . . . he felt like her was glowing from the inside out.

"Then why not?" he asked rashly. "You know I love you – even if you can't know how much. And you want to be with me, so why not?" He didn't blink, fearing he might miss something – anything – in her expression.

She leant towards him. He couldn't look away from her eyes. She hesitated a few inches from his mouth. He leant forwards and closed the distance between them. They broke apart nearly as soon as they're lips touched. Laurel shifted close to him and kissed him again, slower and deeper then the last time. He snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. Her hands played in his hair. When they broke apart, both of their breathing was haggard.

It was better then anything Tamani had ever imagined. He opened his eyes to find Laurel looking at him. He beamed at her. "You know I love you, right?"

She smiled and kissed him again, longer this time. Tamani felt warm like he never had before. "And you know I think I might, maybe, love you?" she whispered against his lips.

He smiled. "No, I didn't know." Then he added, once they'd come up for air again after their next kiss, "You don't know how happy it makes me to hear that. For as long as I can remember I've wanted to hear you say that."

"Maybe if you're lucky I'll say it again," she said, then tormented him by only giving him small, quick kisses before he caught the back of her head in his hand and pressed their mouths together. When he finally removed his hand, she didn't move away.

He sighed. "It's getting dark," he said sadly. She'd have to go to her cabin soon.

"I don't want to leave, not yet," she said. He kissed her quickly in response before standing up, pulling her light form up with him. "I don't want you to leave, but we have to start heading back."

"Worried you're going to get lost?" she asked as they started walking back down the creek, the way they'd came. She wound her fingers through his.

He snorted. "I'm a faerie sentry. I don't get lost in the forest." The idea made him laugh.

"So how long will I be here?" she asked.

"Roughly around a week and a half." He gave her hand a squeeze. _A week and a half to be together with Laurel._

She smiled. "I'm glad."

"But," he warned her, "When you bloom, I have to be careful."

"Why?" she asked, frowning. He rubbed circles on the soft skin of her hand.

"So I don't pollinate you," he told her seriously.

"Oh. Right. Well, in that case, be careful," she told him. "I don't want to end up having a . . . flower baby."

He smiled. Maybe one day she'd have a flower baby. He smiled wider. "I will be."

"Does that mean that we can't . . ." she hesitated, before finally settling on the word, "Touch?"

He thought about it seriously for a moment. "As long as I don't touch you blossom, sure." He smiled and stopped walking. She did, too. "For instance, we'll still be able to do this." He brushed his lips against hers. "And this," he mumbled. He kissed her deeper.

"Good," she breathed when they broke apart. He smiled.

"C'mon, you gotta get back to you house," he said.

"Where do faeries sleep?" she asked.

He chuckled. "Trees," he answered simply.

"Isn't that a bit uncomfortable?"

"Not at all," he reassured her.

Tamani could feel the eyes of the other sentries on them as they walked, hand in hand, through the forest. He knew that they knew he loved Laurel. He smiled. And now they'd know she loved him back, too.

They both paused at the end of the trail. "Goodnight," Laurel said.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he reassured her. _And tomorrow won't come fast enough,_ he added to himself. He leant forward and kissed her softly. Then again, and again, each time getting longer and deeper and more intense.

She pulled away from him, breathing hard. "Night. Don't let the . . . tree bugs bite," she whispered against his cheek.

He laughed quietly. "See you tomorrow," he promised, before breaking their embrace by pulling his arms back from around her waist. "Yeah," she agreed before quickly brushing her lips against his and turning and disappearing inside the old wooden house.

He stood surrounded by the forests familiar sounds as he tried to get a grip of his glowing emotions. Finally he just shook his head at himself and set back down the trail, headed to where he knew the other sentries would be waiting for him.

He couldn't help thinking this day had become the best day of his life. _But then again,_ he thought, _tomorrow with Laurel might turn out even better._ He couldn't help but beam at the thought.

Now you've read it, you gotta review it!

I'm only 14 – and haven't been in love, so I'm pretty sure I can't talk about mushy stuff like this. Tell me what you think, please!

Oh and this will probably stay a one-shot. Yeah. It will. Maybe.

Over and Out,  
Dozey212


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, everyone. I decided to do another chapter; –shrugs- your reviews got to me. Hopefully you like it and it lives up to the original one-shot – review and tell me.

Thanks to those who reviewed, alerted, and favourite-ised this story. Means a lot.

**Read, review, alert, and maybe get a chapter three – doubt it though, but hey, things might happen. This chapter proves that. **

**~*~**

Tamani didn't mention anything to the other sentries, and they didn't bring it up, either, although everyone was aware of what had happened between Laurel and him. Even if they weren't aware, they'd have known something was up by the way he was acting. He walked with a bounce in his step, he beamed at everything and anything, and looked more happy and alive then they'd ever seen him before. Even he couldn't remember ever feeling better. He felt excited and ready to go do anything. When it was finally time to settle down for the night, all he could do was stare at the stars above him as the other off duty sentries slept, thinking about how lucky he was.

Lucky to have _Laurel._

Laurel, who'd been his childhood best friend, Laurel who was strong and protective, and beautiful, and smart and creative. _And a good kisser,_ he added, remembering.

Frowning, Tamani thought of what would happen tomorrow. He knew he'd want to hold her again. He knew that he would, given half a chance to, even no chance at all. But he didn't want to smother her. After all, this was new to both of them, even if Tamani _had_ been dreaming of it for most of his life. He might know her, but she was only beginning to know him. And he wanted her to know him. He hadn't opened himself up completely to anyone in a long time. Really, no on but Laurel had really truly known him, and what she knew –or had known– was long forgotten now. It still hurt, sometimes, to really think about it.

So he decided something. He'd start small with Laurel – not small, small, but what _he_ considered small. _Not Laurel's version of small,_ he thought with a grin. They were friends, yes, becoming more? Yes. Would she know him like she did before? Of course; he was certain of it.

Somehow Tamani managed to switch his brain off. But he couldn't stop remembering Laurel kissing him, wrapping her arms around him . . . he fell asleep smiling.

_**~*~**_

He woke up, as usual, when the first rays of sunshine began to shine through the trees. Tamani easily slid down the tree, landing on his feet without a sound. He could hear the faint movements of the other sentries coming down from their own perches, ready to start the day, while others were already moving through the forest, either to grab some breakfast off the surrounding tress or to guard the Gateway.

_First things first,_ Tamani thought to himself, heading off through the green undergrowth to where he knew there was a delicious patch of berries. He had to restrain himself from heading straight towards Laurel's cabin.

He ate his share, and then shoved some in his pocket for later. Soon he was making his way towards Laurel's quaint house, certain she'd have to be awake by now. She was, after all, a faerie. What faerie didn't rise with the sun?

He stopped at the end of the forest, though. He'd been past the cover of the trees and out into the open yard many times before, but suddenly it felt like it was crossing a line. What line, he wasn't sure. Even last night he hadn't gone past the end of the forest trail. So he just stood and gazed across the open grassland separating the tiny wooden house from the forest, wondering why he didn't walk across to it.

He couldn't hear movement in the house, but that didn't mean anything. Laurel had been acting –_becoming_– more of a faerie daily, and her silent walking yesterday just proved that.

Before he knew it, the wooden door creaked open, and Laurel stepped outside. She turned to close the door behind her, and that's when Tamani saw her blossom. Unlike last years blue one, this one was yellow, and easily rivalled it in beauty. He felt a grin break across his face as Laurel turned on her heel and began walking towards the path with purpose, and suddenly he just couldn't wait to see her. But before he could act on his newfound courage and meet her on the lawn, she was standing there before him.

"Good morning," she chimed happily.

"Morning to you, too," he replied.

"So," Laurel said, and then hesitated. "I was wondering . . . Well, are all the foods you faeries eat as nice as the stuff you forced feed me yesterday?"

"_We _faeries," he corrected seriously before laughing, remembering her little excursion with the moss. "Well, its all edible. But we _do_ have tastebuds, you know. I don't like daises, and yet one sentry practically lives off them."

"You've tried eating daises?" Laurel asked, raising an eyebrow.

He shrugged and gave her a crooked grin. "Of course. Do you want to? I'm sure one of the sentries would tell us where to find some, since I hadn't been bothered to take note of –"

Laurel pressing her fingers to his lips shushed him. He stoped talking immediately to wait for her next move, hardly daring to blink. "I'm sure we'll be able to find some ourselves," she said, grinning mischievously. Tamani was too overwhelmed to wonder where this sudden change in attitude came from; either way, though, he liked it.

His heart beat speed up impossibly fast. He swallowed before saying, "I'm sure we could, too." He wondered if she had _any_ idea at all about her effect on him. Or about how deeply he felt about her. He doubted she'd be able to comprehend it – sometimes even he couldn't. His earlier thought of giving her a chance to get to know him while taking things slow –which basically meant not rushing into things head first at a breakneck paced run– suddenly seemed impossible. He settled for getting to know each other _while_ being together instead.

He leant down and softly placed his lips on hers, smiling when he felt hers start to move in synch against his. He placed his hands on her hips, careful of her bloom. He made a mental note to brush off the pollen he was bound to leave later on.

When they pulled away, he whispered, "There's the good morning I've been waiting for."

She gave a little laugh, which sounded a little off to Tamani, which gave him cause to worry, and smoothed her hair down. He'd hoped things wouldn't be awkward between them, and so far it hadn't – up until that laugh. Noticing his expression, she reached over and laid a hand on his cheek. "C'mon, Tam. You've got some daisies to find." Instantly, all his unsureness disappeared. After all, if she was uncomfortable –which she really seemed like she wasn't– she wouldn't have done something like that. Something so . . . something a couple would do. The thought made him smile.

Soon they'd faded from view, melting into the forest like only faeries could. They walked side by side, sometimes holding hands, just talking, enveloped in the floral smell of her Bloom. It smelt better then anything Tamani had every smelt before. Occasionally Tamani would stop to pick a berry, or to show Laurel a particular plant. Although he didn't know much about plants – not the way a Fall faerie did, anyway – he was more then willing to share his knowledge with Laurel. He was sure he'd do nearly anything for her.

"I don't think I can ever be a proper faerie," Laurel said. "I'm not like you. I'm too human."

"Everyday you become more like us," Tamani admitted. "It comes naturally, don't worry. But you _are_ very human." He was still trying to work out wether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

She sighed and laced her fingers through his, momentarily distracting him from the conversation at hand. "Will I ever be able to do magic?" Her voice sounded wistful.

"Magic," Tamani scoffed. "Of course not." Seeing her disappointed expression, he added, "Because faeries don't do magic."

"You know what I mean." Tamani could hear a smile in her voice, and it warmed him.

He shrugged. "You can't learn to use your Fall magic at school. You'd have to be taught by another Fall faerie. True, you have your instincts when it comes to plants, but you'd need a little push. And the Fall faeries are in Avalon . . ." he trailed off, his mind clinking into gear. _She'd _have _to go to Avalon. _There was no way around it. 

"Tamani," Laurel warned. He smiled softly – she already knew him so well.

"You'd have to go to Avalon to learn your 'magic,'" he said softly, pulling her to a halt by their joined hands. He swept her hair off her face with his free hand before continuing, "It's really the only way."

She scowled, but it was half-hearted and didn't reach her eyes. "Couldn't they come here? You know how I've got to protect Mum and Dad."

"They could, yes," he answered carefully. "But it would be harder then you just going to them. They have stores of plants and herbs and things in Avalon, and special forests unique only to our world which they'd have to use to show you where to find certain plants and flowers. They'd have to bring all their equipment here and everything. You wouldn't learn as much as you would if you went there, and it'd take longer, too. They probably would even want to come here. I doubt it would ever happen that way."

She rested her forehead against his and sighed, her breath flying across his face. "It was worth a try," she mumbled.

"You know we'd protect your parents, right? If you did go?"

She jerked her head back from his, her wide eyes flying to his own searching ones. "What? What do you mean?" Her eyes searched his, flicking between them, gaze tumbled and unreadable.

He shrugged. "We already know from past experience that Troll's have gone after them, and might be likely to do so again despite you owning the land. To blackmail you into handing it over, or something of the sort. We wouldn't leave them unprotected again if you weren't there." He frowned, thinking. "Well, I'm fairly sure they'd be watched over. I'm not positive. I don't make these types of decisions." He grimaced. He was only a Spring Faerie, just a sentry.

"Really?" she breathed, pulling him from his thoughts.

"It's a definite chance," he allowed. He could feel excitement building up inside him – she sounded like she'd really consider journeying to Avalon with him if her parents were safe. He'd be able to show her their childhood. She'd meet and make other faerie friends. She'd become one of them, in a way she wasn't now. He could show her the beautiful flowers in the Forest, and the secret waterfall where they used to swim at when they were younger.

He'd take her _home_.

Laurel hugged him, squeezing him tightly, and he returned it awkwardly, careful of her back. She must've noticed because she pulled away blushing and looking uncertain. He laughed at her. "Don't worry – I like hugging you. I just have to be careful of this," he explained, reaching over her shoulder to feel a smooth yellow petal that just rose above her shoulders.

"Oh," she said, still blushing. "Yeah, that's good. I don't want to be . . . have a faerie baby."

He grinned at her and looped an arm through hers and started walking again. "See those?" he pointed to a fern a couple of metres off the path. "Never eat it, trust me."

"How come? Is it poisonous?" She was eyeing the plant warily, wrinkling her nose in concentration, like she could tell just by looking at it.

"No," he said, chuckling. "It's just the worse tasting plant I've ever eaten." He shuddered, remembering.

"Thanks for the heads-up," she murmured, looking at the plant with interest.

"But," he said, picking a leaf off a tree. He smelled it, inhaling deeply, appreciating the scent – even if it didn't even come close to the smell of Laurel's bloom – before handing it to Laurel to smell. She did, and made a disgusted face in response, holding the leaf at arms length. "This tastes wonderful," he finished.

"It smells disgusting," she pointed out, handing it back to him. He popped it into his mouth, quickly chewing. "Yuck. I wouldn't be able to eat that."

He laughed at her. "Didn't think you would. _I_ love it, but you never liked it." Gazing at her now, he was glad some things hadn't changed. The Laurel from his childhood, compared to this Laurel, despite the age difference, were much the same. Of course, they were totally different, but he could see that it was _Laurel_ shining through both of them, highlighting their similarities. She was caring, and loyal, and had a very firm sense of right and wrong, and duty. She was smart, and happy, and beautiful, and everything he'd ever wanted. The Old Laurel may have been his best friend, and he loved her, of course, but it was _this_ Laurel he was in love with, dreamt of, and wanted to spend the rest of his days with.

"You're looking at me funny," Laurel murmured shyly, shifting under his intense gaze. He smirked at her. She looked nervous. "What is it?"

"You've got berry juice all over your face," he told her solemnly, barely succeeding in keeping a straight face.

She went beet red and she wiped her face on her arm, grimacing and muttering to herself. He watched her with amusement as she tried to rub the phantom stains off her face. "You could've told me earlier," she grumbled. He chuckled quietly.

"It won't come off," she said, exasperated, studying her clean hands. He laughed out loud, the sound bouncing off the sunlit trees around them and echoing loudly through the forest. "What!" she demanded, red faced. He laughed even harder, nearly howling. Understanding flashed across her face, and, if possible, she went even redder. "You're so mean! There's none there, is there?" she huffed, crossing her arms.

He shook his head no, unable to speak through his laughter. When he finally quietened down, he reached over and took her hand. She let him, but she still looked cross. "Aww, don't be mad. It was funny." He chuckled again. "I couldn't miss the chance."

She cocked her head to the side, looking at him calculatingly. "So it's not the reason you were looking at me strange?"

"No."

"Then why?"

Tamani sighed. What should he tell her? That he was having a moment of insight as to why he loved her? He decided that he would – he didn't like, or ever want, to lie to Laurel, even if it was with something as small as this, almost insignificant in the big picture. Ever. She deserved the truth about anything and everything – at least when it came to his feelings about her. "I was thinking about why, and how much, I loved you. How it's just _Laurel _I see in both my childhood friend, and the woman I love now."

She blushed and fidgeted. "If you could, would you change me back to the Laurel you used to know?" she asked softly, but yet seriously.

All tones of laughter and playfulness were gone now. Tamani didn't even think of answering her teasingly – they were both being serious. He thought for a moment, going over what he'd just discovered in himself, his feelings for the two different – and yet the same – Laurel's. "No, I wouldn't," he answered her just as softly.

She smiled at him, melting his insides, and looked relived for some reason. "I'm glad," she whispered. It was quiet for a moment, both of them staring at each other, linked by their joined hands as well as their gaze.

Tamani finally broke the comfortable, deep silence. "So, if you parents were guaranteed protection, and it was only a visit to Avalon, would you come?" he asked. Smiling playfully, he added, "Of course, I'd love it if you decided to move there."

Laurel hesitated. A jumble of emotions were written on her face that he could read: confusion, uncertainty – hope. The last one caught him off guard, and he felt himself beaming, knowing that the chances of her journeying to Avalon with him had increased ten fold at the knowledge of her parent's safety.

"Yes," she answered a moment later, all hesitation gone. Tamani felt like doing a victory dance, but he refrained himself, enveloping her in a searing kiss instead. When they finally broke apart, Laurel was bright red from blushing, and they both had haggard breathing. "But," she breathed, "I doubt it, Tam."

He just grinned at her knowingly in response.

_It's just a matter of time,_ he thought. It was no longer an 'if' situation – it was a 'when' one. He just knew it. It was a possibility to her now that her parents were safe, or were likely to be, no longer a definite no. The lure of learning her 'magic' combined with the pull of Avalon, the safeness and sense of _home_ it radiated, he knew she'd end up going. Of course, her curiosity just strengthened the mix.

And, he'd like to think, he was part of that influence.

She playfully whacked his arm. "You're meant to be feeding me, not plotting something – and don't deny it," she added, seeing his raised eyebrow, "I can see it on your face."

"Right," he chuckled. "Let's go."

_**~*~**_

"Want a Sprite?" Laurel asked.

He shrugged. "Sure."

She nodded and leant up on her toes to give him a quick kiss. Before he could respond in kind she was walking across the lawn towards her cabin. Her bloom bounced and swayed with every step she took. He wondered, yet again, as he watched her walk away, why he didn't step out of the forest and walk beside her.

Suddenly an idea came to him. He picked up a stick off the ground and wrote in the middle of the path where she couldn't miss it: _Come find me – if you can. _He straightened up and looked at it, surveying his handwork. It was missing something. He thought of how he would find someone in the forest, and deciding to give her a hint, he added: _Tracking might help – just a hint. _He chuckled and started walking away, casting the house one last backwards glance, careful to leave slight indents in the ground with his bare feet instead of walking with his usual light faerie gate.

Tamani hoped she found him before the bubbly drink went warm.

He stuck to the path for a good thirty metres before he swerved to the right, cutting diagonal through the bush towards his destination – a place that would always hold special meaning for him–and hopefully for Laurel, too. He grinned. It might not have been the exact same way that they'd gone yesterday, but it was just as good. Besides, going the same way would make it too easy for her.

Tamani heard the bubbling of the stream before he saw it. He emerged from the trees, and made his way down the back, leaving some footprints in the wet mud but not many. Soon enough, a tree came into view. He walked over to it, looking at it intently. It was just the same as all the others around it, but yet it was held in a completely different light for him.

This was, after all, where Laurel had finally confessed she had the same feelings for him as he did for her. They'd shared their first kiss here. He'd held her for the first time here.

He strode over the to tree and sat down at its base, leaning against it. He smiled, realising he was sitting in the exact same position that Laurel had been yesterday. Looking around, he spotted a clump of daiseys. He got up and picked some, grimacing at them. She had wanted to try some before, but they hadn't found any. He gently laid them down on the ground before sitting down again.

Minutes passed. He sighed and watched the stream glide over rocks and tumble down little waterfalls in front of him. She sure was taking a long time. Maybe she couldn't find him. He thought she'd be able to. Besides, she was a faerie. He was just giving her a push, a little shove, towards her feriae ways. Glancing at the sky, Tamani noticed it had been about half an hour, judging by the position of the sky.

_I wonder how long it'll take her,_ he thought, sighing. Maybe he should go find her before she got herself lost. He chuckled quietly at the thought. _I wonder how she'll react when she _does_ find me._ He laughed loudly at that, then immediately clamped his mouth shut. _Oh well, I just gave her a hint as to where I am._

"I heard that!" he heard Laurel shout. It took all the self-restraint he had not to laugh again – and loudly. She was close.

Not a minute later he heard someone moving around in the forest, muttering to themselves angrily. He looked over eagerly to where the noise was coming from. Laurel emerged, scowling furiously, two lemonades in her hands.

"You!" she said, jabbing a soft drink towards him. He couldn't help it – he laughed at her. This seemed to make her even madder, because she stormed over, and chucked the drink at him. He caught it in one hand, and made himself stop laughing.

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't be able to find me," he said. Even he could hear the laughter in his voice.

"What was that for?" she demanded, still fuming, ignoring him. "I'm not a _tracker_!"

"You are now," he pointed out. Seeing her expression, he added, "What? You found me –_tracked_ me– didn't you?"

"Urgh!"

He patted the spot beside him. She looked at him incredulously. "What?" he asked innocently, although he thought he knew the answer.

"I leave to get you a drink, like a nice person, and you run off in the forest telling me to track you. I find you after nearly an hour of stomping around in that _jungle –_" she jabbed a thumb at the trees looming behind her. He pressed his lips together to keep from laughing at her exaggeration "– and you want me to come and sit next to you like nothings happened?" she demanded. Tamani noted with worry that she was slightly going red in the face.

He didn't think she'd be _this_ mad. A little angry, sure. But this? He swallowed, suddenly wishing he hadn't ran off.

He scrambled for something to say, and came up with nothing. He jumped to his feet and walked slowly towards her. She glared at him but didn't retreat – thankfully. "Please don't be too mad," he said softly but sincerely. He hoped she could hear it. "I didn't want to make you angry."

"Harrumph. What _did_ you want?" she asked.

He shrugged. "It was a little test, I guess. To see how fey you are. I thought that you'd be able to track me, and I left deeper, more obvious footprints to help you" she looked dubious "and you did find me. I'm proud of you." He grinned at her crookedly.

She sighed. "First the berries, and now this. You're lucky I have patience, Tamani." He was relived to note that she looked less angry, but still as beautiful as before.

He chuckled. "Sorry."

Laurel sighed again.

"Am I forgiven?" he asked, searching her eyes for any clue as to the answer. Then remembering the flowers he'd picked, he added, "I can make it up to you."

"Oh yeah?" she challenged, raising her eyebrows. If he wasn't unsure that she was still slightly angry, he would have kissed her then.

"Yup." He turned around and reached down, shielding her view of the flowers with his body. He picked them up, and still shielding them with his body, and turned back towards her, now hiding them behind his back.

"What have you got now?" she asked suspiciously, looking at where his arms disappeared behind his back. Her eyes flashed back up to his, and he was happy to find no anger what so ever there.

Wordlessly, Tamani revealed the daiseys.

"Daiseys?"

"Yeah," he said. "You wanted to try some, remember? Only we never found them. Of course," he added, grinning at her, "you can just keep them as flowers if you no longer want to eat them. Put them in a vase."

She wrinkled her nose. "You said they taste bad."

He shrugged. "Most faeries love these things. I can't remember if you used to, so you'll just have to try them."

She fingered one of the little petals. Her eyes searched his for reassurance, and he nodded his encouragement. "Okay then," she said hesitantly. "Should I just shove it in, or what?"

He chuckled quietly. "Just bite the flower bit off. Stalks don't taste particularly nice."

Laurel dusted the flower off, looking at it with contemplation written all over her face. She lifted it up, met Tamani's eyes briefly, and bit the flower off the stalk. She chewed quickly at first, and then slower as she savoured it.

"Don't know what you have against it," she said.

"They're disgusting, that's what. When you come to Avalon, I'll show you some of these –"

"What do you mean by 'when'?" Laurel demanded, crossing her arms across her chest and looking at him intently.

_Damn,_ he thought, realising he had been caught out. Tamani tried his best not to look sheepish. "How about you have another daisy?" he offered, trying to distract her. He had no clue how to answer her. He wasn't sure that he would, even if he did have one.

"You can think 'when' all you want," she said, shrugging and taking one of the flowers. "I'm just sorry that I'll have to disappoint you."

He reached over and trailed a hand down her jaw, brushing her lips with his thumb. Leaning forwards, he whispered, "You won't disappoint me," into her ear. She shivered. He leant down, and softly kissed her.

He reached over and trailed a hand down her jaw before cupping her face and brushing her slightly parted lips with his thumb. He leant down and kissed her softly. Her arms wrapped around him as she melted against him. Slowly, he pulled away, knowing that even faeries needed to breathe. "You won't disappoint me," he breathed into her ear, making her shiver.

"I don't want to," she whispered back.

Tamani couldn't help it – he pulled her back into a kiss, figuring they'd had enough time to restock back up on oxygen.

**~*~**

Thank God for school holidays. Anyway, I tried to make this as long as possible for you lovely people. –sigh-. I don't like how I ended this. Oh well.

I really don't want to do the whole go to Avalon thing – really really really don't wanna. So, yeah. Highly doubt it'd happen. But hey, this is pretty much just nothing. Like, nothing happens much. Just a lazy filler chap. Review enough and you might get another pointless chapter like this.

I'll probably do more one-shots when the second Wings book comes out – I think its called Spells, so, check out my profile later on. Or just alert me.

**Go Tamani and Laurel!**

**Over and Out,  
Dozey212 **


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